Mou, Sergio & Klopp Pressers, Dortmund Trains, Some Inspiration!

Lots of pressers to talk about today. First up, our fearless leader, who was his ever candid self. You can always count on Mou to be, well, Mou.

FROM REALMADRID.COM

Mourinho: “We have to play minute by minute and goal by goal until the last breath”

“Nobody has jumped ship and everyone wants to play. That gives me confidence and hope to be able to think it is possible”, said the Real Madrid coach

The Portuguese coach discussed how his team need to play against the Germans: “It is a 90 minute match and we are losing 1-4. We have 90 minutes to play and in football it is possible. The way we played in Dortmund was too poor for us to think that we could play a similar match and have a chance to turn things around. Today I read comments from a person that is huge in the football world and they were talking about the possibility of doing things outside the rules and within the rules on the field. My team only plays within the rules and we are so pure and innocent that Lewandowski scored four goals and did not foul him once. You have to play with mental aggressiveness, not physical, and desire. Saturday’s match at the Calderon was an example of a compact, united, aggressive team and 11 players working towards the objective”.
When asked about the spirit of Juanito and the percentage chances that his team have of playing the final at Wembley, he was blunt: “About Juanito, you know what it is all about and I do not need to explain. All things that are historical have to be respected and I do. I do not like looking at percentages. We know that we start the match 1-4 behind and so it is difficult to use mathematics to justify that we still have a chance. I have not concerned myself with listening to things, or what other people think and feel. I’ve been doing my analysis of the match and of tomorrow’s. I’ve been trying to explain to my players what I thought and that’s has been my main focus”.

About the first leg at Signal Iduna Park and the message from the players looking for the comeback, he said: “The best way to motivate the crowd was to get a good result in Dortmund. The fans get motivated by playing well. There are other people who work in other areas and may think that you can motivate people with a video. I motivate people with results. I just worry about my team being my team”.

Regarding the possible starting eleven against Dortmund, he said: “In Dortmund the team was obvious, except for the problem with Di Maria. It was a no brainer and everyone knew what it would be. Tomorrow the situation is different and we could play with certain people that we do not normally play with and with an unusual system. So I will not say anything. Cristiano Ronaldo is fine. Arbeloa and Marcelo are injured and the rest are available”.

When asked about his comments at Signal Iduna Park before the first leg, in which he said that this Real Madrid team deserves a European Cup, he said: “In Dortmund I asked for fairness because there are teams that deserve it and get it and others that fall short. Football is often not fair and I asked for fairness figuratively speaking, that the football would be fair and it was. That day the team that deserved to win won and the team that deserved to lose lost”.

About the conversation that he had with Klopp minutes before the match in Dortmund, the opponents and German football, he said: “It’s a shame that people read the newspaper and then don’t read Klopp’s denial. I did not talk to him about my future. Since the start of the season I considered Borussia Dortmund as a candidate to win the competition. Last year they had a year of adjustment and it’s no surprise to me. They are going to lose Gotze and people say that they will also lose Lewandowski. There is a great team structure and calmness. The two German teams playing these semis are very good, there’s no doubting that, and the German national team are too. They have a good generation of great quality players and are surely a candidate for winning the World Cup”.

When asked about rumours that put Ancelotti on Real Madrid’s bench, he said: “Ask Real Madrid and Ancelotti. I just think that it is another important match in Real Madrid’s history over the last ten years, but I thought that before the first leg and we played like was a friendly”. About Zanetti, who he was at Inter Milan with and is currently injured, he revealed: “We spoke on the phone and he is ready to do more and fight to come back”.

Finally, in reference to the job as coach at Real Madrid, he said: “I think that at all clubs, almost all, success belongs to everyone and failure to the coach. It happens everywhere in the world, with some exceptions where they recognise the coach’s role in good or bad things. I am calm because I know it is like that. The 100 points record is Real Madrid’s and if we don’t get to the final then the failure is mine. I hope to have at least ten years to win competitions. There are great coaches who have not won the Champions League and I have already won two. I will fight to win the third”.

Next up was the Ramos…

FROM REALMADRID.COM

Ramos: “We want the match to arrive and we are confident that we can turn the tie around”

“Life gives us the chance to experience special moments and tomorrow is one of them. We have to show that we can do it and hope the fans identify with the team’s attitude”, said Real Madrid’s vice-captain

Sergio Ramos appeared before the media in the Real Madrid Football City press room after José Mourinho had spoken. The Real Madrid vice-captain analysed the return leg of the Champions League semi-final: “We want the match to arrive and we are confident that we can turn the tie around. There is no better motivation than playing a Champions League final. I have not had the chance to experience one and I think this is a big enough motivation collectively. Not many things are better than playing in a Champions League final. Life gives us the chance to experience special moments and tomorrow is one of them. We have to go out and give everything. We have to show that we can do it and hope the fans feel they can identify with the team’s attitude. We hope that they will support us and create a great atmosphere, and that each one of us goes home having given everything on the pitch”.

When he was asked about how to get back into the tie, the Spain international explained the key: “By playing how we can do and have done on other occasions. With intensity, aggressiveness, a high rhythm. We have done it all the season in a lot of games. We know what we are playing for and we will do everything we can to get back into the match. The difference was the intensity and rhythm. In other matches we have won the individual battles but the other day we did not. It was a fair result and if we can change this, then things will change a lot. There is always the chance for revenge, and in football that is a good thing”.

As vice-captain, he is a special voice when it comes to revealing the dressing room’s feelings ahead of the return leg of the Champions League semi-final: “We are out for revenge and we feel the excitement that this competition has for Real Madrid. The whole of the dressing room has had to get together and be aware that we have to make the most of this chance because you never know when you will get the chance to play in a Champions League final. What happened in Dortmund cannot happen again. The other day the team tried but could not do it. That is what has to change and we have to show this from the first minute. If we do not go through, then we at least have to leave the pitch with our heads held high and not feeling like we did the other day. We have to play at our best. You do not win with your history. We have to believe in ourselves and show it”.

Regarding the form the match will take, he said: “We have to wait and see how they approach it and what line-up our boss decides to use. We will give everything and our attitude has to be good. We all want tomorrow to come. The important thing is the football and doing our talking on the pitch. Playing at home with a crown that will be behind us from the first minute is a bonus. But it will not be any use if we go out with the wrong mind-set. We know what we have to do and what we must not do. From the first minutes we will start to evaluate the situation and if we have to change something during the match we will see to it. Our playing philosophy is different to theirs and the other day we did not have enough possession”.

On the subject of Di María, Higuaín and Benzema, he said: “The team supports Di María at the most difficult times, like with everyone. Higuaín and Benzema are two great players and this type of match motivates any footballer. Who starts will depend on the manager. Both are ready”. And on the subject of his position on the pitch, he said: “In recent years I tend to play centrally because it gives you a better position and I feel more comfortable, even though I do not mind playing on the wings. The manager takes the best decisions for the whole team”.

With regards to the coach’s words, when he said that team was naïve in Germany, he said: “There are not many people who know as much as he does. The word naïve is the one that hurts us the least after the match the other day. Other things hurt me more. You do not win because of the badge on your shirt. If you do not play with intensity and aggressiveness and show what you can do, then you will not do anything. We work to stop them on a collective level, not individually. The group is strong and you always have to concentrate more on particular players. It is a team approach, not an individual one”.

Ramos praised his next opponent: “It is a really good team and it has been showing this all season. Success comes from team work and that is why they managed such a good result. We must not get careless because they have shown that they score at any time and make the match hard for you. It is one of the best teams and is challenging for the title. It will be hard, but if you want to win the Champions League you have to beat the best”.

Finally, when asked about the incident that occurred in the airport when the team was on its way back to Spain after playing in Dortmund, he said: “That lad has had his minute of fame and nobody has the right to abuse us with bad language. He had drunk a bit too much and there was no reason to give it as much importance as the media have”.

 

(Additional Sergio pictures via GFSports)

Joining coach Klopp was midfielder İlkay Gündoğan.

Klopp: “It’s normal that Real Madrid believes in the comeback”

“Playing in the Santiago Bernabeu is something really special for any player”, said Gündogan

Jürgen Klopp and Gündogan spoke to the press in the Santiago Bernabeu press room ahead of tomorrow’s clash between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid as the team battle it out for a spot in the Champions League semi-finals. The German manager commented on the upcoming match: “It’s normal that Real Madrid believes in the comeback and they’ll act according to what they believe. We proved what we’re capable of in Dortmund and we’ve also impressed spectators with our squad. We’ll see what happens”. Gündogan pointed out the magic of Real’s home stadium: “We’ve already experienced what the atmosphere is like in the Santiago Bernabeu once this season. But to play there is something really special for any player”.

During the competition’s Group Stage Real boss Jose Mourinho said that Borussia could make it to the Champions League semi-finals, which Klopp explained: “People were talking about this at the start of the season. We’re going to fight for a third trophy after the ones we won last year and we’re going to give it a shot. We played well in the Champions League last year but we didn’t make it. Mourinho watched us before and knew that we were playing good football. We’ve started to dream about it a bit. We have the feeling that we have a solid team and we know that sometimes the squad with the best team wins instead of the team with the best individual players. We’re not in the final yet but we’re going to fight for it”.

When asked about whether his team plans to defend or attack against Real Madrid, Klopp replied: “Neither one nor the other. It’s no secret. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. It would be foolish to say that we know what we’re going to do. It’s clear that Real Madrid can cause us a lot of problems, but we’ve also proved that we have great offensive potential. We’re not going to play just to defend or attack. Balance is always important in football. Our way of playing is always the same: when we attack everyone attacks, and when we defend we do it as a team. We always play the same way and my players will have to be ready to pull it off because it’s going to be a really special match”.

Regarding the great comebacks that the Santiago Bernabeu has experienced over the course of its history and the possibility of his players becoming blocked against the Whites, Klopp said: “No, I’m sure. Why? Because it the same situation as last year for us… now we’re in the Champions League. Bayern Munich wants to win all titles this season and we want to win the Champions. And my team is in pretty good form. The only way to make someone’s dream come true is to be brave. That’s what we’re trying to do. We can still make it to the final if we lose the game, it’s not a problem. All that matters is what you’ve invested into the game. They have to do their best and that’s it. There’s no doubt about that”.

When asked if Piszczek will play tomorrow the German manager replied: “I don’t know. I haven’t decided. We’re going to do the first tests within a half hour. He ran yesterday and it looked like he was alright. The next thing will be to see how he trains today to see if he can play tomorrow, but I’m not sure. Our feeling isn’t that we’ve already got one foot in the final, but that the first leg result was better than we expected. We have to fight. We know that we’re not usual semi-finalists and it’s a great achievement for us to be here and we’re going to act with the corresponding humility”.

The German side will be backed by thousands of fans who have made the trip to Madrid to support their team: “I know that many fans have made the trip, even going through Oslo to make it here. The Champions is very special for Dortmund fans. Tomorrow’s atmosphere will be great. I think that about eight thousand fans came to join us, and we know that many weren’t able to come and that they’ll be supporting us from home and will experience the game intensely. This is a very important match for them and we know that a lot of people will be cheering us on. We know that we can achieve make our and a lot of people’s dream come true tomorrow and we hope to make that happen”, he said.

When questioned about his side’s style of play, Klopp replied: “It’s relatively simple. It’s a simple philosophy: defend well and score many goals. The team also has to play closed, compact and if they score they have to defend it but still be bold enough to go for the second goal. We’ve had the same idea of playing for a long time. I didn’t invent football but I want to play how I know and with the players that I have. The theory is easy but then you have to put it into practice and that’s more complicated. Football is an idea but sometimes things come up to prevent you from doing what you planned. We’ve repeatedly demonstrated that our system can lead us to success and we’re going to continue applying it”.

Klopp also commented on Dortmund’s successes in recent years and the team’s appearance in these semifinals: “For years nobody could have imagined it, but tomorrow we have to focus on this game. We haven’t won anything yet. Nothing is impossible in football and something historic can happen tomorrow, regardless of whether we make it to the final or they eliminate us. I have tremendous trust in my team, in that they’ll play well and we hope to make it. We have to play the 90 or 120 minutes knowing that a lot of people are watching and do everything possible to make it to the final and you’re all going to be able to see that”.

Midfielder Gündogan commented on the magic of the Santiago Bernabeu and what his team should do to secure a spot in the final: “We’ve already experienced what the atmosphere is like in the Santiago Bernabeu once this season. But to play there is something really special for any player. We know that they have great fans but we’ll also have the support of ours. It won’t be a normal match since it’s a Champions League semi-final, it’s really special and we can’t just play automatically: we have to give everything we’ve got because it’s a different game”.

Dortmund trained today in the Bernabeu and Klopp put them through their paces.

Watishista mygypsyspirit sent along some inspirational videos to get us psyched up for tomorrow’s match. I’ve always loved this first one.

And this second one with Cristiano is case in point why I don’t believe the Miss BumBum crap.

Mygypsyspirit says she can imagine Mou giving a big speech like Al Pacino’s from Any Given Sunday (me too!)

HALA MADRID!

– Lozil